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Outreach

Development Workshops and Events

In addition to providing online resources through ScienceCareers.org, Science Careers runs an outreach program designed to bring career and professional development workshops to graduate, postdoctoral, and early-career scientists.

Our Career Development workshops include Interviewing Skills, Nonacademic Careers for Scientists, Resumes and CVs, Creative Job Search Strategies, How to Publish in Science, Lab Management, Work/Life Balance, Grant Writing, and Getting the Most Out of a Job Fair, among others.

The workshops are held in various settings including at universities and colleges, at conferences and trade shows, and as stand-alone events in areas with large numbers of graduate students or postdocs.

Not able to attend? Follow us on Twitter for career advice from our events! @ScienceCareers

Recurring Events and Presentations

The following is a listing of regular and special events conducted by AAAS and Science Magazine since 2008.

Career Options and Job Resources for Scientists

Planning a successful and rewarding scientific career means considering all your career options and discovering what is exciting to you. Learning how your scientific training fits with many different career possibilities and developing new and transferable skills are important for creating your individualized career path. In this seminar, we discuss the different career options available to scientists, finding the best fit for your personality, and how to develop a career plan.

Careers Away From the Bench

Could you be missing out on an exciting and rewarding career outside of academic or industrial research? Increasingly, Ph.D.-level scientists are becoming aware of other career opportunities beyond bench research. Join us at this workshop to consider what your own career path in these so-called "nontraditional" areas might look like. Well discuss the types of alternative careers available, how to parlay your current skills and values into a new area, ways to research career options, and how to develop the skills you might need.

Creative Job Searching

Being able to submit job applications online makes searching for jobs outside of academia seem deceptively easy. In reality, finding a position, particularly in the current economic climate, may take more creativity. In this workshop, we talked about the importance of networking, how to market yourself properly, and other ways to get a leg up on the competition when applying for nonacademic jobs.

Job Search Essentials

No matter what sector you plan to work in, job searching can be a daunting task. This talked helped participants prepare for job searches in academia, industry, and beyond. We talked about networking your way to work; where to look for openings; cover letters, resumes/CVs, and other parts of your application package; and how to put your best foot forward in an interview, helping participants to get one step closer to their dream jobs.

Making New Contacts: Networking Strategically

This talk helped participants to find ways to make networking work for them. Being strategic about meeting people can make networking easier. We discussed the myths and realities surrounding networking and different strategies for networking including: informational interviewing, attending conferences, participation in professional societies, and social networking websites. We also talked about some of the nuts and bolts of networking including: proper etiquette, business cards, elevator pitches, and following up with contacts.

Making the Most out of a Conference

Do you know how to get the most out of a conference? Not only is it important to learn about others research projects, but you should be using conferences as a place to build your network and learn about resources that can help to advance your career. This talk covered many aspects of going to a conference from submitting an abstract to poster presentations to networking and exhibit halls.

Networking Strategically

This talk helped participants to find ways to make networking work for them. Being strategic about meeting people can make networking easier. We discussed the myths and realities surrounding networking and different strategies for networking including: informational interviewing, attending conferences, participation in professional societies, and social networking websites. We also talked about some of the nuts and bolts of networking including: proper etiquette, business cards, elevator pitches, and following up with contacts.

Work/Life Balance

Most scientists seem to wish that they had better work/life balance. This presentation offered some practical tips to help you find better balance. We talked about topics including why balance is a problem for scientists, family-friendly workplaces, ways to better communicate with your family and manage life at home, and plenty of time management tips.

How to Have a Successful Postdoc Experience

A career in science involves more than just research skills. In addition to research, successful scientists might manage a lab, develop a network of colleagues, and write successful grants all while maintaining a healthy work/life balance. During this workshop, we discussed how to make the most of your postdoc experience to prepare for the next stage of your career. Among other things, the workshop addressed setting goals and expectations for your postdoc, ways to build professional relationships, and developing skills for your future career.

Interviewing Skills

Whether youve got a job interview scheduled or youre just starting to think about the job search process, its never too early to start thinking about how to best present yourself to employers. In this workshop, we walked through every step of the interviewing process from initial phone interviews to preparing for the big day to following up with your interviewers. Attendees learned about what employers want to see from job applicants and what job applicants should ask about during an interview. After the workshop, attendees were prepared to ensure their job interviews are great conversations with potential employers.

Getting Ready for a Career Fair

In this two-part workshop on career fairs, we had presentations on both networking as well as preparing your resume. First, Brianna Blaser of Science Careers presented Making Connections: Networking and Career Fairs. Her presentation focused on the basics of good networking and how to employ those tactics in a career fair setting. After that, Lori Conlan from the Office of Intramural Training and Education at the NIH spoke on Job Searching and Resumes. She answered attendees questions about their resumes and offered plenty of targeted advice.

Taking Your Passion for Science to a Career Away from Research & Getting to the Top of a Big Pile

Could you be missing out on an exciting and rewarding career outside of academic or industrial research? Most individuals who pursue a career in science do so because they have a love for science. Once your training is done, can you bring that passion to a career beyond the research bench? Increasingly, Ph.D.-level scientists are becoming aware of fulfilling career opportunities beyond bench research. This workshop looked at what career paths in these so-called "nontraditional" areas might look like. Participants learned that looking closely at their skills, values, and preferences, as well as learning about the experiences of other scientists, can help identify a career path to pursue. This workshop also presented ways to parlay current skills and values into a new area and how to develop the skills needed to follow your passion for science to a new career path.

Special Events and Presentations

Georgia Tech Career Day

Thursday, March 04, 2010 Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA

In her keynote presentation, Brianna talked about her own career path, explaining ways that she prepared herself for her career and made decisions along the way. She also talked about strategies that attendees could use in making their own decisions about their career paths as well as AAAS and Science Careers resources that can help.

Out for Work Pride Career Fair

Sunday, September 27, 2009 Out for Work Conference, Washington, D.C.

Science Careers participated in the Out for Work Pride Career Fair. Speaking with attendees at our table, we had great conversations about choosing and applying to graduate schools, networking to secure your next position, and more.

Using Science Careers and AAAS Resources / Making the Most Out of Conferences

Thursday, June 25, 2009 NIH, Bethesda, MD

This event had two purposes: to introduce NIH postdocs to all the resources that Science Careers and AAAS have to offer as well as a workshop on surviving conferences. We talked about AAAS and Science as well as Science Careers, GrantsNet, AAAS awards and fellowship programs, and our new social networking platform. We also talked about many aspects of going to a conference from submitting an abstract and preparing beforehand to giving poster presentations, networking, and visiting the exhibit hall.

Careers in Chemistry Seminar, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Thursday, June 04, 2009

This workshop combined two important topics: career opportunities for scientists beyond bench research and creative job searching. Could you be missing out on an exciting and rewarding career outside of academic or industrial research? Increasingly, Ph.D.-level scientists are becoming aware of other career opportunities beyond bench research. This workshop considered what a career path in these so-called "nontraditional" areas might look like. We discussed the types of alternative careers available, parlaying your current skills and values into a new area, ways to research career options, and developing needed skills. Once youve figured out what you want to do, youll need to find a job. So, we also talked about the importance of networking, marketing yourself properly, and other ways to get a leg up on the competition when applying for nonacademic jobs.

Finding Your Way: Careers in Science Policy

Monday, April 06, 2009 University of Washington

In this presentation, Brianna talked about the myriad career paths available to scientists outside of academic or industrial research. Participants were able to consider what their own career paths in these so-called "nontraditional" areas, including science policy, might look like. The discussion touched on the types of alternative careers available, how to parlay your current skills and values into a new area, ways to research career options, and how to develop the skills you might need. Brianna discussed various career options related to science policy and the power of fellowships, including the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships, in learning more about these options.

UCSF Career Fair Workshops

Thursday, April 02, 2009 UCSF San Francisco, CA

The morning started with a panel discussion of scientists in industry careers. Panelists included Jane Grogan and Richard Neve, both of Genentech, Alex Watters of Amgen, and Joanna Gonsalves of Ferring Pharmaceuticals. The panelists talked about the job search process and encouraged audience members to seek out careers in industry. Audience members asked many questions about the best ways to find positions.Following the panel discussion, Brianna Blaser of Science Careers presented Making Connections: Networking and Career Fairs. The presentation focused on the basics of good networking and how to employ those tactics in a career fair setting.

In the afternoon, Bill Lindstaedt of UCSF presented Job Hunting in the Biotech. The seminar discussed job search strategies necessary for success on the biotech/pharma job market. Bill presented four job hunting techniques that comprise a comprehensive job search in the biotech industry, along with tips for success in interview settings and in your compensation negotiations.

Finally, Naledi Saul of UCSF presented on Transforming Your CV for a Biotech Industry Position. This session used a successful industry resume as a sample, to show the difference between a CV and resume, what should and should not be included in a document tailored for industry jobs, and strategies to tailor your document to highlight your skills and experiences.

National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting, Houston, TX

Saturday, March 28, 2009

In this presentation, Brianna presented strategies for postdocs to use in order to best manage their relationships with their supervisors. This included advice on choosing a postdoc position, establishing goals and expectations with your advisor, day-to-day communication techniques, and what to do when problems arise. Throughout the talk, there was lively commentary from the postdocs and postdoc administrators in the audience. The session concluded with a discussion of case studies based on questions posted on the Science Careers Forum.

Publishing in Science

Saturday, February 14, 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting, Chicago

We were excited to have Bryan Ray and John Foley join us for this event. Many young scientists at the ASCB meeting came to learn more about publishing in a top journal. Bryan talked about the publication process and what reviewers look for in submissions to the journal. Afterwards, John gave an in-depth overview of the new publication from the Science team, Science Signaling .